Sunday, June 24, 2012

We are having some beautiful days around here and I am doing OK.It is time to plan my 4th of July extravaganza, although in recent years the ganza in me has slowed down a bit. However, I will do my best for my guests and try to make it a fun day. All the ingredients that are really needed though are good friends and family to just get together and enjoy the time we have in each other's company. Of course, a sunny, not so hot day would certainly add to our comfort and mood.

I plan on having some good food.

Some summer cocktails for the adults

and something for the kids

We will sit under my willow tree, talk about old times and new, laugh, overeat and watch the younger generation play some yard games. The older generation will only get out of their chairs to replenish. This is as it should be.

And then right before the fireworks display, I will bring out my special surprise.

The children will love it, some who have enjoyed the cocktails a little too much might not notice and others will think I have gone completely bonkers. What the heck, it looks like fun. Now to decide which creature to rent, shark or angel fish.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

I promised Tony that I would be here. Last September he said he would be back when summer starts and I think today is the day. There is quite a ruckus going on at my house because of the new baby and there are so many people running around. Grandma seems to be directing everything and she told me to go outside and play because I was making too much noise. I decided to walk to the bridge so that I can see down the road. I have been here an hour and except for a dump truck, no one has passed by. What if he doesn't come? It can't be summer without him and he promised. Wait, I think I hear something. Yes, yes, it's the music he always plays and there's his big white truck. The ice cream man has returned! The ice cream man has returned!

Mondays PhotoPrompt is a project wherein anyone at anytime can join in..post a picture on a Monday, write something generated by the prompt (prose/poetry/long/short/fiction/nonfiction), read, critique...whatever stirs your pot. You have all week to think about what you want to write (or not). If you are going to post a PhotoPrompt or are going to write about a PhotoPrompt or are planning to do some reading and may enjo critiquing please leave a note in comments so everyone can follow over to your place and see what's happening.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Almost done with my gardening and besides having a bad back, I am doing OK.

Admit it, one of the first three things you read in the newspaper is the obituaries. We look to see who younger than us has died, what they died of (wondering if we have any of the symptoms of that disease), and possibly in these days of high unemployment, a new job opening. Some obits are just the bare facts, some are lovingly written, and others detail all the wonderful things the deceased has experienced in their lives. Then there is this trend of showing a picture of the dearly departed that was taken decades before. I like that and am thinking I would want to have a head shot of myself when I was 21 photo-shopped on the bikini clad body of Marilyn Monroe for my memorial. I think that might generate more interest in reading about my rather ordinary life. This would be my last hurrah and why not go out leaving that memory behind. Last week our local newspaper printed a rather long obituary about a man who lived to be 80, had contributed much to society, and was quite an interesting character. However, it was the first paragraph that got me.

"Joe Smith (not real name) departed this earthly cathedral for his last trip on June 6, 2012. The mode of transportation was unannounced by the Lord, but it is hoped it was by air to meet St Peter, though it may have been a short cruise across the River Styx to meet the horned fellow."

I wonder if his ex-wife had anything to do with this. My feeling though is that this was the work of the late gentleman who had a sense of humor.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The adventurer, someone's daughter, my daughter. She has her fears, she has her misgivings, yet she takes on life and finds her own way.

Mondays PhotoPrompt is a laid back project wherein anyone at anytime can join in..post a picture on a Monday, write something generated by the prompt (prose/poetry/long/short/fiction/nonfiction), read, critique...whatever stirs your pot. You have all week to think about what you want to write (or not).

If you are going to post a PhotoPrompt or are going to write about a PhotoPrompt or are planning to do some reading and may enjo critiquing please leave a note in comments so everyone can follow over to your place and see what's happening.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

She lived at the end of our road in a small, neat, white clapboard house. I used to pass her by as I went for my walk in the morning and I would see her again at night when I took Kerry, our dog, for his evening constitutional. She was always working in her garden. She was a lady up in her years and dressed in a big brimmed purple hat, a blue dress with a green apron and big yellow rubber shoes. She was a staple in the neighborhood, but I never knew her name. We always just called her "The Gardener". Once or twice a year I did stop to talk and tell her how I admired her plantings. She would always say, "Thank you, but I can't seem to get it just right this year." She seldom looked up and I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or herself. Her yard was lovely and and there was always something new to see. I wish, at times, I had taken the time to speak with her longer, but we all live busy lives and other than say hello, I went about my business and she with hers.

She has been gone for a few years now and the new owners have done away with most of her gardens. As I passed her home the other day, there in a crack in the pavement lay the daintiest of plants clinging to life among the weeds that were also choking to get out. I thought of leaning down and trying to pull it out, but then I thought of her, and it occurred to me that this might have been a seed from one of her flowers that had fallen between the sidewalk and laid dormant until now. I smiled, said hello, and walked on thinking that "The Gardner", in a way, was still there.

We all look forward to this time of year. This vacation has been planned for 10 months and we can't wait for it to start. The car is packed with all sorts of paraphernalia, the tank is full and everyone has been buckled up . Fun and sun is only 4 hours away.One hour has passed and you begin to feel that you are part of National Lampoon's Vacation movie. The kids who you thought would sleep, didn't, and now don't want to share that back seat with their other siblings. Then you remember what you forgot to pack to keep them entertained , but too late now. However, you can always buy it at your destination at 3xs the price you paid for at home. Hour two into the road trip and you start to threaten the children you once loved. You really don't mean it, but that headache that began pounding about half an hour ago has turned you into another person. The pain started around the same time that traffic seemed to come to a standstill and people became impatient. You should be halfway there, but you are not. There are no happy campers in the car.Three hours now and you have been able to make up some of the time due to your spouse's need to break the sound barrier. Oh, what's that you see in the back window, why it's your friendly policeman who has noticed your "out of state license plate" and wants to welcome you to his town. You thank him for his keen observance of hubby's driving habits and try not to cry when he hands him the $200 ticket. Almost there and the car has become quiet. The children have run out of steam and are sound asleep. There is silence between you and the race car driver seated next to you, but out the window you can see the sunset over the water. This was what you have dreamed about all these months. Peace and forgiveness have now replaced frustration and anger. The car pulls into the driveway of the rental house and surprise, it is even nicer than the picture you saw on the Internet. The children wake and squeal with delight. All is right with the world.

Mondays PhotoPrompt is a laid back project wherein anyone at anytime can join in..post a picture on a Monday, write something generated by the prompt (prose/poetry/long/short/fiction/nonfiction), read, critique...whatever stirs your pot. You have all week to think about what you want to write (or not). That's just how we roll lol.

If you are going to post a PhotoPrompt or are going to write about a PhotoPrompt or are planning to do some reading and may enjo critiquing please leave a note in comments so everyone can follow over to your place and see what's happening.

My Story, as of now

It's been six years now since I retired and you would think I would be through the "adjustment period". Some days I am, and others I am not. I like to think I have reinvented myself, however, rust keeps appearing around the edges. Aging is a surprise to me as I thought I would always be young. But life moves on and as I plod forward, I find that there are many more adventures and joys to be had. They just may take a little more effort to find, but heck, I have the time.